1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a scroll compressor which is installed horizontally.
2. Description of the Prior Art
FIG. 4 shows a longitudinal section of a conventional scroll compressor of a horizontally installed type. In this FIG. 4, a compressor structure 3 is coupled with an electric motor M through a horizontally extending rotating shaft 4, all within a hermetic housing 1. The compressor structure 3 has a fixed scroll 5 and a revolving scroll 6. The fixed scroll 5 is fixed to a frame 2. The revolving scroll 6, being engaged with the fixed scroll 5, is supported slidably by the frame 2.
The electric motor M consists of a rotor Ma and a stator Mb, the rotor Ma being fixed to the rotating shaft 4 and the stator Mb being fixed to the hermetic housing 1. One end of the rotating shaft 4 is supported by a bearing 7 provided in the frame 2. The other end of the rotating shaft 4 is supported by a bearing 8 and connected to an oil pump 11 which intakes lubricating oil 9 accumulated in the bottom of the hermetic housing 1 through an oil pipe 10.
The electric motor M drives the rotating shaft 4 and the revolving scroll 6 is driven thereby. The lubricating oil 9 accumulated in the bottom of the hermetic housing 1 is sucked up by the oil pump 11 and transferred through an oil path 4a provided within the rotating shaft 4 to lubricate an eccentric pin 4b, a drive bush 13, etc. of the rotating shaft and then the thrust face of the frame 2, etc. Excess oil is returned to an oil accumulator in the bottom of the hermetic housing 1 through a discharge oil path hole 12 extending through the frame 2. Thus, seizure and scoring of each part is prevented, and an increase of OC % (oil circulation ratio) and oil leakage into the compressor are prevented. The oil circulation ratio (OC %) is equal to: ##EQU1##
FIG. 5 is a front view of the thrust face of the frame 2 of the compressor, wherein there are shown the frame 2, the thrust face 21, an annular oil groove 22 provided on the thrust face and a pair of horizontal oil grooves 23 extending to the right and to the left to the annular oil grooves 22 from a central part of the frame 2.
The lubricating oil supplied through the oil path 4a within the rotating shaft 4 flows to the annular oil groove 22 through the horizontal oil grooves 23 and lubricates the thrust face 21.
The above conventional horizontal scroll compressor has, as shown in FIG. 4, a discharge oil path 12 to discharge the lubrication oil 9 in excess of that used for lubrication, and also has such horizontal oil grooves as shown in FIG. 5, for lubrication of the thrust face of the frame 2. In this system of lubrication in the prior art, however, there has been a problem in that the lubricating oil 9 easily flows out to the discharge oil path 12, not staying long enough at the frame 2. Thus, the lubricating oil 9 does not spread well over the thrust face, whereby seizure and scoring often occur on the thrust face of the frame 2 and of the rotating scroll 6.